The German alphabet uses the 26 basic letters you already know from English, but it also has important extra signs: the Umlaut vowels Ä, Ö, Ü, and the letter ß. For beginners, the useful goal is to recognize the letter names, spot the special signs, and spell names, cities, and emails clearly.
The 26 German Letters
This list shows the basic German alphabet. After the dash, you will see the German name of the letter and a word where it appears.
- – A, as in Apfel.
- – Be, as in Berlin.
- – Ce, as in Café.
- – De, as in Danke.
- – E, as in Essen.
- – Eff, as in Fisch.
- – Ge, as in Guten.
- – Ha, as in Haus.
- – I, as in Insel.
- – Jot, as in Jahr.
- – Ka, as in Kaffee.
- – Ell, as in Lampe.
- – Em, as in Mutter.
- – En, as in Nacht.
- – O, as in Obst.
- – Pe, as in Post.
- – Ku, as in Quelle.
- – Er, as in Rot.
- – Es, as in Sonne.
- – Te, as in Tisch.
- – U, as in Uhr.
- – Vau, as in Vater.
- – We, as in Wasser.
- – Iks, as in Taxi.
- – Ypsilon, as in Yoga.
- – Zett, as in Zeit.
Examples:
- Berlin beginnt mit B. (Berlin starts with B.)
- Wasser beginnt mit W. (Wasser starts with W.)
Umlaut Vowels and ß
German also uses special signs that are essential for correct spelling. They are usually taught separately from the 26 basic letters, but you should learn them early.
- – A with Umlaut, as in Mädchen.
- – O with Umlaut, as in schön.
- – U with Umlaut, as in fünf.
- – Eszett or scharfes S, as in Straße.
Note: On keyboards or forms without German characters, you may sometimes see alternatives like ae, oe, ue, and ss. Still, it is better to learn the real signs from the beginning.
How to Spell in German
To ask how something is written, use short, practical phrases. They are useful for names, surnames, cities, and email addresses.
- Wie schreibt man das? – How do you write that?
- Kannst du das buchstabieren? – Can you spell that?
- Es beginnt mit... – It starts with...
- Es endet mit... – It ends with...
- Doppel-L – Double L
- Großbuchstabe – Capital letter
- Kleinbuchstabe – Lowercase letter
Examples:
- Wie schreibt man Lena? L-E-N-A. (How do you spell Lena? L-E-N-A.)
- Das ist Doppel-L, nicht ein L. (That is double L, not one L.)
Common Mistakes
Ignoring Umlaut vowels
Ä, Ö, and Ü are not decoration. They change the written form of the word and can change pronunciation too. Schon and schön are not the same word.
Confusing V and W
For English speakers, these letters can be confusing because German does not use them exactly like English. When spelling, remember that V is Vau and W is We.
Mistaking ß for B
The ß is not a B. It is called Eszett or scharfes S and appears in words like Straße. In some situations it can be written as ss, but it is still a separate spelling sign to recognize.
Practice with real words: Berlin, Wasser, Mädchen, schön, fünf, Straße, and Zeit. If you can recognize their letters and special signs, you have a useful base for beginner German conversations.